Vol. 571 No. 1
832 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a substantial amount of people are of the view that there are major flaws in the report on the health effects of environment tobacco smoke in the workplace, dated December 2002, particularly in relation to studies expressing contrary views, environmental tobacco smoke levels and further research. [19912/03]
People are entitled to express their views on the ETS report as they see fit. As Minister for Health and Children, I have to deal with the fact that an international scientific consensus exists that exposure to and inhalation of environmental tobacco smoke is a cause of disease, ill health and death. The reality is that a significant proportion of our population do not work in safe smoke-free environments. The primary purpose of the prohibition is to provide a safe clean workplace free from toxic environmental tobacco smoke which the World Health Organisation has classified as a class A carcinogen.
